Author Topic: dwg file invalid? (Read 5846 times)

vinnyg · « **on:** January 12, 2006, 12:41:27 PM »

Hi all,

I am working in R14. I try to open one drawing (out of 36, same directory) and I get
a message "dwg not valid" What's going on?

HELP!

vinnyg

Greg B · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:44:16 PM »

Probably created in a more recent version of AutoCAD. Or was exported to a version AutoCAD 14 can not open.

vinnyg · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:47:31 PM »

Greg,

This drawing was created in R14 and was not saved in other version.

vinnyg

deegeecees · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:48:29 PM »

Try a "recovery", not sure where it is in R14. I think its in the File pull down.

deegeecees · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:49:09 PM »

Or just type recover in the command line.

pmvliet · « **Reply #5 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:50:22 PM »

try the audit.
Sounds like it crashed on someone and now AutoCad isn't able to open it.

deegeecees · « **Reply #6 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:51:07 PM »

Quote from: pmvliet on January 12, 2006, 12:50:22 PM

try the audit.
Sounds like it crashed on someone and now AutoCad isn't able to open it.

You have to be in the drawing to be able to audit.

vinnyg · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:52:28 PM »

DeeGeeCees,

Tried "recovery"......similar acad message!

Thanks,

vinnyg

Chuck Gabriel · « **Reply #8 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:53:11 PM »

Can you post the drawing here?

deegeecees · « **Reply #9 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:56:56 PM »

Sometimes people rename files thinking that giving it an extension (i.e. rename testfile.dgn to testfile.dwg) will automatically make it valid to a corresponding software. I know this because it just happened with our new PEBKAC.

Thinking you may have stumbled upon one of these. Post the dwg file so's we can take a looksee.

vinnyg · « **Reply #10 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:57:35 PM »

Here's the dwg

Dinosaur · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:03:01 PM »

It seems the header is corrupt. I can not even get it to query into a MAP 2006 session.

Greg B · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:04:32 PM »

I don't think it's even really a dwg file. I tired in IntelliCAD 2000 and DataCAD.

Neither would open it.

Couldn't open it in eDrawings either.

deegeecees · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:07:56 PM »

Well, I tried all AutoCAD native formats and no dice. I'd have to google some keywords to find something that can detect file types (follwing that route). I have a mtg, so I'll check back in a while with you.

vinnyg · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:09:19 PM »

Well people,

I don't know........I created it in r14, just like the other drawings in the same directory
which I have no problem opening. I have 2002 also on my system and tried to open it
in 2002 and it wouldn't open either. Any more ideas???

thanks for all your suggestions,

vinnyg

Dinosaur · « **Reply #15 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:15:48 PM »

Someone may want to try opening it with a HEX editor to see if there is any header information at all. I tried with Crimson and Notepad and there was nothing visible in the header section.

Chuck Gabriel · « **Reply #16 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:17:06 PM »

That is definitely NOT an AutoCAD drawing. I opened it in a text editor. If it was a real .dwg file, the first six bytes would be a human-readable code indicating what version of AutoCAD saved the file. The first six bytes of your file were garbage.

LE · « **Reply #17 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:18:06 PM »

There is nothing in there... just blank spaces...

Normally a drawing will start with something like:

AC1015...

SDETERS · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2006, 01:50:31 PM »

I do not think the file is a DWG file

vinnyg · « **Reply #19 on:** January 12, 2006, 03:07:37 PM »

Apparently something happened from the last time I opened it and saved it until
I tried to open it again before I posted my question. It was drawn in r14 and saved
as .dwg in r14. What possibly could have happened to it in that period......I don't know!

vinnyg

Dinosaur · « **Reply #20 on:** January 12, 2006, 03:15:32 PM »

I think a backup file is the only hope for this one. A HEX editor might be able to create an r14 header but it would be a very long shot. What happened? I think there is a very tiny percentage of DOS writes that just fail - sometimes it is a little text file or a temp file that is never needed again and sometimes it nails something important. In dos days, I would try to save my file, open it immediately and then save again so a good backup could always be found.

Serge J. Gianolla · « **Reply #21 on:** January 12, 2006, 05:10:36 PM »

Could it be that the header is scrambled! AFAYK, you [or someone else in the firm] did not try something like DOS_Encrypt from DOSLIB to see what happens?

vinnyg · « **Reply #22 on:** January 12, 2006, 05:44:05 PM »

Serge,

No, I'm the only cad person here. I'm not sure what you mean concerning the
DOS function??

thanks for your input

vinnyg

LE · « **Reply #23 on:** January 12, 2006, 05:53:01 PM »

Follow the advice Dino... mentioned to you...

Look for the .BAK, or .SV$ - in your temporary folders... appears the only choice... then simple rename the extension to .DWG

HTH

Greg B · « **Reply #24 on:** January 12, 2006, 05:55:34 PM »

Quote from: LE on January 12, 2006, 05:53:01 PM

Follow the advice Dino... mentioned to you...

Look for the .BAK, or .SV$ - in your temporary folders... appears the only choice... then simple rename the extension to .DWG

HTH

Ironic how that is possibly what got the file in trouble in the first place. Changing the extension.

Greg B · « **Reply #25 on:** January 12, 2006, 05:57:09 PM »

I have a questions...what files does autocad make with the drawings.

For instance....Datacad creates 3 files

.aec - Drawing File
.png - Thumbnail Pic
.dbk - Backup File

LE · « **Reply #26 on:** January 12, 2006, 06:00:00 PM »

Greg;

Normally if the features on acad are on for AUTOSAVE and the BACKUP copy from each drawing saved.

It will create those extra files... that might help

Greg B · « **Reply #27 on:** January 12, 2006, 06:03:23 PM »

Quote from: LE on January 12, 2006, 06:00:00 PM

Greg;

Normally if the features on acad are on for AUTOSAVE and the BACKUP copy from each drawing saved.

It will create those extra files... that might help

Well now that's not what I'm getting at. If AutoCAD create's a thumbnail file, it was possible that someone came along and changed the extension of it thinking that it was a backup file.

LE · « **Reply #28 on:** January 12, 2006, 06:07:14 PM »

AutoCAD does not work that way...

Usable Drawing files:

DWG
BAK
SV$

DWT
DXF

And maybe other(s) that I dont' recall right now...

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